This invention relates to a material for protecting articles during transport and storage, a method of manufacturing the material, and a method of using the material to protect articles.
Large articles, such as automobiles, machinery and boats must often be transported from the factory to the ultimate consumer on open trucks where they are exposed to the environment. Consumers expect that new automobiles, boats and machinery to be in pristine condition, and will not tolerate defects. As discussed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,017, damage may be caused by a number of factors, including acid rain and hurled objects, such a small rocks and stones. The wrap material disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,017 includes a non-woven fabric intermittently bonded to a shrinkable and stretchable film that has a pre-determined shrink response as heat is applied thereto. The material is formed into a bag which is placed over the object be protected. The bag is then shrunk around the object with the non-woven fabric engaging the surface of the object and supporting the film off of the surface of the object.
The present invention relates to an improved material and method for its manufacture. An adhesive is applied to the raised portions of a contoured gravure roll. The roll is rotated across the film, and hot melt adhesive is applied to the film in a pre-determined pattern. The adhesive generally covers from about 8.0 to about 33.0% of the film. The non-woven fabric is then adhered to the film by bringing the film and the fabric into physical contact. When the film is shrunk, the non-woven fabric separates from the film in the areas between the bonds to provide raised portions, thereby protecting the surface of the article from contact with the bonded portion of the non-woven fabric.
Often, it is desirable to prevent contact between the bonded portions of the non-woven fabric and the surface because the cured adhesive occurring along the bonded portion of the fabric is abrasive, as is the film, and any contact by either the film or the adhesive with the surface can cause damage. By protecting the surface of the object from the adhesive bonds, damage caused by rubbing of the bonded portion of the non-woven fabric across the surface being protected, which occurs for example during handling of the object during transport storage, is prevented. The repeating nature of the pattern of adhesive also facilitates manufacture and strengthens and adds tear resistance to the material.